4.5 x 6.5 ft. Persian Oriental rug tribal Caucasian Kazak design

We Ship All Around The World

Ardabil rugs
originate from Ardabil located in the province of Ardabil Province in
northwestern Persia, 639 kilometers from Tehran. Ardabil has a long and
illustrious history of Azerbaijani carpet weaving. The reign of the Safavid
Dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries represented the peak of Azerbaijani
carpet making in the region. The name Ardabil comes from the Avesta (The sacred book of
Zoroastrians) with the word Artavil literally meaning a tall holy place. The
weavers in Ardabil ply their craft using Azerbaijani knots. One of the most
famous carpets in existence today is a pair of Persian carpets from Ardabil.
This carpet, measuring 34' x 17', is hanging on display in the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London, England.

Ardabil rugs feature motifs that are very similar to Caucasian
rugs, but with more motifs and objects woven into the borders. The colors are
also lighter. The patterns are predominantly geometric and the most common
layouts on Ardabil rugs are medallions, multiple connected diamond-shaped
medallions, and all-over octagonal shapes. The most recognized design found on
Ardabil rugs is the famous Mahi (Herati) design - a diamond medallion and small
fish throughout. Some modern weavers have begun to favor bold geometric
patterns over the traditional Mahi (Herati) design and have added colors such
as turquoise and purple to the more traditional red, pink, ivory, green, and
blue.

The warp on Ardabil rugs is mostly cotton, while the weft is
either cotton or wool, although silk is also used as weft on fine Ardabil rugs.
The highly skilled weavers may also incorporate silk into the woolen pile in
order to accentuate some highlights in the pattern. These fabulous rugs are
available in all sizes.

History of Caucasian rugs

Caucasian rugs come from mountains region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.In 1813 it was conquered by Russians before it belonged to Persia.In
the course of time many different people have settled in the caucuses;
Turkoman tribe from Central Asia, Turks, Persians and Armenians.Part of the effect has been the region to many different tribes and tongues. Yet
in spite of this, Caucasian rugs have many features in common, whether
they were made north or south of the mountains which divides the region
to preserve its traditional patterns and colors.The Turkish knot (Ghiordes knots) is used everywhere, and the rugs are usually knotted on a foundation of wool rarely of cotton.The dominate colors in Caucasian rugs are red, blue, yellow green and ivory, some brown is also used.The patterns have a definite geometrical tendency.The main features of the design from coherent pattern while the minor pattern has no connection with one another.Stars, squares and swastikas are from large part of decoration.It is not unusual to come across flowers, animals or human beings.These are also geometric in design very angular and hard to identify.

Some Basic Facts about Caucasian Rugs

All Caucasian rugs are made with the Turkish or Giordes knot

"Kazak"
carpets are not from Kazakstan (which is on the other side of the
Caspian Sea) - but are from an area in what is now Armenia.

The colors of older Caucasian Rugs are mostly made from natural materials found in the respective tribal regions.

Most
older Caucasian rugs are "all wool" - not only the knotted pile, but
the warp and weft threads are usually made from hand spun woolen yarn or
goat hair However, one can sometimes find older carpets (and more
frequently in some newer examples) with cotton warps and wefts

Warp
threads can be made of un-dyed light yarn in one area, and dark or
mixed in another. Goat hair is also seen for the warp threads, but never
for the pile.

Weft threads can be different colors: rusty red/brown, blue or white.

The number and colors of selvages often can be an identifier to the area of origin

Please
Note: almost all old and antique rugs are associated with some minor
color change (abrash), previous repair, curvy shapes, possible weak
materials, missing line on the borders, diverse pattern which in a way
add to the beauty of these rugs.